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Chapter Four: Dragon Veins
Flashback He hurdled over the last dune—the most abundant thing in the Land of wind. Sannoto was sure that they had thousands, if not millions of the annoying buggers. Even for a seasoned veteran of war like himself, they made the journey across the Land of Wind exhausting. Squinting his eyes, while cupping his hands around his face in response to the blistering rays, he scanned the horizon, and in the distant he saw it: Sunagakure. Though transformed from his last visit, well over six decades, there was no mistaking the village. After-all, it was the only thing out in this portion of the desert. The rest of the towns were situated near the Nanmen Ocean, towards Iwagakure where the terrain was more mountainous, or just near an oasis. Sunagakure was packed in the middle of the blazing desert. At times, Sannoto felt bad for these people, but their location was the reason why they have suffered very few attacks from foreign ninja or countries. It’s simply too hard to sustain a battle here, between the vicious heat, skin dissolving sandstorms, and lack of food. Sannoto was fortunate that Otogakure packed him well for this trip. As expected, a caravan awaited him at the top of the dune just as the letter detailed. Thirty shinobi stood there, equipped with weapons, large fans, puppets rolled in toilet paper, face paints, and such things that were native to the village. If there was one thing that was impossible, it was mistaking a Sunagakure ninja for another. They have an identity so central to the village that their headbands aren’t often needed to discern them. It’s what made infiltrating so difficult: no tan, no puppet rolled in toilet tissue, no face point, fan? Yeah, if you didn’t have that stuff, you weren’t a Suna-nin. Sannoto was the exact opposite. While they had dark hair, brown eyes, brown tanned skin, he strutted fairy skin, blonde hair, and deep blue eyes. On top of that, his arms and legs were hairier than that of a Yeti. It was obvious he came from somewhere that experienced actual seasons. He was sure to stand out. “Sir,” the shinobi saluted, “You’re caravan awaits.” Two others opened the doors to his rather large caravan. Sannoto nodded, and wasted very little time preparing himself. No questions, not even a bit of hesitation, he simply stepped inside and planted himself on the soft silk cushions exhaling a large breath. “Phew..I’m beat.” The other ninja couldn’t help but whisper among themselves: This is Sannoto Senju? I thought he was supposed to be powerful; the best shinobi of his generation I heard. Finally, one spoke—“What if he heard us?” That alone scared them. They all stood their paralyzed with fear, before one eventually garnered the courage to apologize. He swiftly opened the door, and opened his mouth, but fell silent. He turned around, facing his fellow peers. “He’s sleep.” They all sighed. Gearing up, they took their respective positions, and off they went towards Sunagakure. ---- End Flashback “That’s not how it happened at all,” a kunoichi spoke. She was dressed in Sunagakure’s standard attire, fairy tall, though incomprehensibly short compared to the Senju, with blonde, spiky hair and teal eyes. She was one of the only Suna-nin who Sannoto knew with blonde hair, but she wasn’t a suna ninja anymore at least. “I found you in the middle of the desert passed out. You were lucky I found you, especially since I found a scorpion nibbling on your ass,” her tone was as brutal as the skin piercing sun. He sneered, “Why’d you have to go and ruin my fun? These people know that it didn’t happen. It’s called a story, Temari. Because it isn’t true.” “A story can be true or false. Next time, say beforehand that I got my ass saved by a passing lady, but I wished this happened instead.” Temari sighed and looked the other direction. The crowd gathered around the two simply laughed and giggled at their ridiculous bickering. Sannoto folded his arms, closed his eyes, and turned the other direction. Under his breath, he mumbled, “I wouldn’t have to if she’d see me already.” “She would have!” Temari quickly retorted, her voice getting louder with each word. “But. You had to go and get yourself poisoned!!” Not only was she standing up, but she was screaming directly into the man’s face. People continued laughing, Sannoto turned red; it’d be a lie if he said that he had never been so embarrassed in his life, but he had several times by people of all kind: children, women, men, even summoning creatures. Living things liked yelling in his face. It was a knack of his. He just hoped that his name would be called to enter the office of the Kazekage, and quick. Of course someone of Temari's status worked alongside few servants. The eldest sibling to Sunagakure's greatest Kage. A women of extreme power. And perhaps a key component in Sunagakure's and Konohagakure's propserous treaty. Together, they sat in a large waiting area. Patiently listening for her majestic appearance. However, one would notice that Sunagakure had changed greatly since Kazekage-sama's induction. Power became abundant. Albeit from an unknown well of ancient energy. It kept Sunagakure technologically adept. Their lights shone bright. Televisions filled with vibrant color. Even houses expanded far beyond simple village buildings. Shinobi used their elemental mastery to forget complex architectural designs. Reverting to a more ancient design with enhanced structures. Sunagakure bustled with business. Children laughed. Women sung. And men relaxed peacefully. Not too far off, the two shinobi could hear shinobi discussing their previous interactions. Words of bar fights, domestic disputes, and a few spying speculations popped up. But nothing of true seriousness. Until... "You heard about Jōmae Village?" A pig masked shinobi asked. "It just upped and vanished...Right into thin air. Hell, not a single soul survived that night." "That's bullshit, you need to stop drinking. All that booze is going to your head finall!" His teammate laughed. "No, no he isn't joking. Captain briefed us on it yesterday. Said to report any and all suspicious activites." A man wearing a hawk mask cosigned his friends testament. "What?! How does a village just disappear like that. I mean someone did something. Does such a technique even exist?!" "Well, some shinobi reported seeing a demonic being with a bull skeleton for a head." The pig masked shinobi waved his hand. Attempting to scare his teammates. "They say he ate them after they failed to sacrifice a little girl." "HA! We're too old for that Nanabake foolishness." He chuckled. "They are nothing but a myth. The real Nanabake are just a group of punks without any purpose. Killing only for money. Cowards." "Hey, watch out...We don't want any bull demons haunting us hahaha!" Nearby, a nurse-or a female with a personal servant disguise carefully filled out paperwork. Although one of Grand Arcanas' servants, her allegiance belonged to her family. Some of who were lost during that tragic night. Her heart broke after hearing such a conversation. But she appeared as she dressed. Empty. She approached Temari and Sannoto. Preparing to follow them inside their meeting. Sitting behind an elegant stone desk, set the most influential individual that resided within the village of Sunagakure. This individual was the driving force behind the rapid advance and change within the village. Hailed as the greatest Kazekage since the founding of the village. Her name was Grand Arcana and the sixth to hold the grand title, mysterious as she was beautiful. "I see" stated Arcana as she removed a document from in front of her face. Revealing her beautiful heterochromia eyes, she stared at the tanuki masked shinobi that stood in front of her. "Inform the others and keep watch" stated Arcana as she moved her black hair out of her face. "Yes, mother" the ninja stated as she vanished without a trance. She look down at the documents that lay on her desk, "Gekijō" she called out. In response, not even a second later a blonde haired individual appeared in front of her "Yes Lord Mother" he stated. "I have a mission for you" she stated, within a moment of arriving, the man disappeared not saying a single word. Picking up a document from her desk, "for what would a Senju be in need of to come all the way out here" she thought to herself as she waited for the Senju to enter her office. He stepped into her office, and that very moment his deepest nightmares materialized: his home burning, his child's head mounted on a spike, his daughter brutally punished, and he perfectly fine. Every possible fear erupted, but in an instant it dissolved, and what took its place was a woman: Grand Arcana, the most feared and respected kunoichi throughout all the desert. Her words are absolute, and her threats represent more than words. Her name is synonymous with power, and uttering it and death in the same sentence is enough to litter the world in war. Simply being in her presence is enough to render shinobi on their knees, speechless that they were even allowed to share the same room as her. To the Sunagakure-nin, she's their messiah—a savior gifted to them by their god, and perhaps she was. Her arrival brought about the end of a drought that plagued the lands for centuries; lakes formed in the crater's carved by wars, and flowers bloomed throughout. However, those who doubted her godliness were exiled to the farthest corners of the deserts, and never seen again by the faces of the citizens. She was worthy of the title, no doubt, as her presence alone is the evidence behind her inauguration. "The last time I was here, I was being commended by your father's predecessor. He could conjure tsunami's of golden dust to bury the entire village.." Sannoto walked further into her office, and took a seat in one of the two chairs that rested feet ahead of the kazekage's desk. A smirk crept onto the corners of his visage, "But, even he didn't emit such a magnifying presence as your own. I believe this is our first meeting, no?" As Sannoto Senju entered her office, the servant awaited a short distance away. Arcana watched as the tall blonde haired Senju stepped into her and set down in the chair that set in front of her desk. "Yes, Rasa was a powerful and presence to behold. However I share no blood ties with my predecessor and his father, but I do carry their ideas" Arcana stated as she moved some documents round on her desk. She peered at the servant that followed before turning her gaze back to the senju. "I thank you for the compliment and you are correct, this is out first meeting" she replied to the Senju's words. "Pleasantries aside, the reason you are here is to discuss important matters. So tell me, what would make the Senju of Ten Thousand Metals travel this deep into the desert"? He slightly leaned forward in his chair, "I was their enemy during the war, and even Rasa wasn't so quick to put me out." He snapped his fingers and turned towards the maid, "A cup of tea please, and don't hold back on the sugar." He quickly faced Grand Arcana, staring into her eyes, then letting them wander downwards until they reached a bump; he grinned, but a tap and a aura of steam broke him from his fantasy. He quickly grabbed his tea, took a sip, and leaned backwards in his chair. "So, why the rush? You wouldn't happen to be hiding something..would you?" His smirk sharpened. "Should I be concerned about the tea I just drank? Or should I be concerned about the fact that it came so quickly, just as I liked." He took another sip. "I guess you know more about me than I thought you did." "The rush is because I am a busy individual and I'm working to keep the affairs of my village in order" Arcana stated as she watched the senju took a sip of his tea. "If you are worried about something being wrong with your tea, you can simply discard it", she added as she two ordered a drink. "If I wanted someone dealt with, I wouldn't do it in my office and when everyone knows " Arcana said as she stared at the Senju, as he drink came she took a sip and placed the glass on her desk. "I know a myriad of things, it is one of my strong suits and why I became the Kazekage. " Sannoto took another sip and placed it on the edge of her desk. "That's exactly what I was waiting for. What I require, Kazekaga-sama, is those secrets of yours." He leaned towards the desk, "More specifically, I need what you use to acquire them. I've heard rumors of its existence from the nobles of the Land of Wind, but even then those are just stories. I came to hear the truth.." As he spoke, his tone grew more enthusiastic by the minute, and his body reflected his enthusiasm. He leaned further and further towards Grand Arcana with every word. "You know what I'm talking about! The Dragon Veins! You have access to them, right?" "I see" Grand Arcana said as she took another sip of her tea before sitting it back on her desk. "Legends and stories that stretch out to the very origins of the land of wind. The Dragon veins are one of the many legends that have been lost to most. Accessible to those that hold ties to the ancient ones of the land." Pausing to taking sip of her tea "I have access to a lot of thing" Arcana stated as she noticed Sannoto getting excited. "So tell me, what would a Senju from the land of fire want with something so Ancient from the land of wind?"